


our home, built of cards

by caniculeo



Series: atsuhina week 2020 [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, AtsuHina Week 2020, Domestic, Fluff and Angst, M/M, kinda not what it looks like?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24632701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caniculeo/pseuds/caniculeo
Summary: It’s always been like this with Hinata, even before they started living together. Atsumu doesn’t know what they are. More than friends, less than lovers—something like that, he supposes. They're intimate enough to share a bed, to wash each other's hair, but they've never come close to kissing or anything, not even by accident.Atsumu's certainly thought about it more than a few times, though.atsuhina week day 3 - domestic
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Series: atsuhina week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778368
Comments: 67
Kudos: 419
Collections: stories that touched me





	our home, built of cards

Atsumu can't remember the last time it'd stopped raining. 

The cold wetness has seeped into his bones—he’s been walking for a while now, heading towards the singular light in the distance. It’s dim and blurry through the rain and fog, but it calls out to him with the promise of warmth and familiarity, of home. Atsumu speeds up his pace until he finds himself at the source of the light, a small little house that makes his heart swell with fondness when he looks at it. Hands a little clumsy from the cold, he fumbles for his key, but manages to unlock the door and enter the warmth of the house.

"I'm home!" Atsumu calls cheerfully, and waits for the familiar reply to ring out through the hall. Instead, he is greeted with a tired-looking Hinata who creeps out from the kitchen, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Atsumu-san?" Hinata says, looking incredulous. "You're back?"

"What, Shouyou-kun," Atsumu says teasingly. "Expecting someone else? You'll make me jealous."

Hinata blushes. "No, no," he says, rubbing his eyes. "I didn't know you'd be coming back today, that's all." He smiles, finally. "Welcome back, Atsumu-san."

Atsumu is glad to be back, to get rid of his soaking clothes, to hear Hinata's voice, sweet and familiar.

"Bath's ready," Hinata calls.

"Got it, thanks," Atsumu responds, and grabs a towel before he heads into the bathroom. Hinata is still there, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'll wash your hair for you," he says, averting his eyes shyly as Atsumu gets undressed and lowers himself into the tub.

"Oh?" Atsumu says almost mischievously, smiling. Hinata must've really missed him: he doesn't usually do things like this, always careful to maintain a certain distance between them. Regardless, Atsumu's grateful. Hinata's fingers feel wonderful as they card through his hair, and his tired muscles begin to relax in the warm water.

"What did you do today?" Atsumu asks, looking up at him.

"Nothing much," Hinata says. There's something somber about him still—he lacks his usual brightness, his cheer. "I cleaned the house, I guess. Took a nap."

Atsumu tilts his head back to meet Hinata's eyes and reaches out a hand to touch his face. Hinata presses into the touch despite the wetness, his eyes closing momentarily. "Is something wrong?" Atsumu asks, concerned.

"No, no," Hinata says, opening his eyes and smiling a little. "I'm tired and I missed you, that's all."

Atsumu feels his heart melt. "I missed you too, Shouyou-kun," he says, and savours the way Hinata blushes, looking away. Atsumu loves to see this side of him—is selfishly proud that he's probably the only person who has.

 _How I adore you_ , he thinks. But he lets his hand drop and closes his eyes, giving Hinata his space.

It's lovely to be home.

After dinner (which is hastily put together since Hinata hadn't prepared food for two) Atsumu settles down on the couch next to Hinata, who seems to be feeling a little more energetic. He's quicker to laughter, telling Atsumu about the upcoming volleyball season, about the mushrooms that have begun to grow in the backyard.

It's wonderful to talk with him again. Atsumu has always loved the sound of Hinata's voice—he could listen to him for days on end. They speak into the night, about everything and nothing at all, until they grow hoarse with tiredness.

"I think I'll turn in," Atsumu says, yawning. He gets up, stretches. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shouyou-kun."

"Wait," Hinata says, abrupt. He reaches out and grabs Atsumu's sleeve, face red with embarrassment. Nonetheless, his gaze is steady and determined. "Can I sleep with you tonight? In your room?"

Atsumu blinks, a thrill running through his body. He can't help but blush, too. "My room?" he echoes stupidly. "Like—in my bed?"

Hinata's ears are red now too. "Yes, but—but I didn't mean like _that_ , I just don't wanna sleep alone—"

"Oh," Atsumu says, feeling like an awful person for being disappointed. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

This isn't entirely out of left field—they've definitely napped together by accident on the couch, but Hinata has never actually asked to sleep together before.

"Thanks," Hinata says, but he still doesn't let go of Atsumu's sleeve. To be honest, Atsumu has nothing against this more affectionate Hinata, but it would be nice to know why he's acting like this. Did he really miss Atsumu that much? It's a touching explanation, but Atsumu can't help but feel like there's something more.

Regardless, it's late, and Hinata doesn't look like he wants to answer any more questions. Atsumu takes him by the hand and leads Hinata into his room, trying his best to think decent thoughts. They settle into bed quietly—it's just big enough for the both of them—each staying on their own side by unspoken agreement.

But just before he drifts off to sleep, Atsumu feels Hinata hold his hand again, tracing gentle patterns into his palm.

When Atsumu wakes, Hinata is gone from the bed. There is the smell of food from the kitchen—of miso and fish and rice—and Atsumu's stomach rumbles. He drags himself out of bed and washes his face.

"Mornin'," he says, yawning, as he enters the kitchen.

"Morning, Atsumu-san," Hinata says brightly as he cooks on the stovetop. He looks a lot better. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Atsumu says. He grins. "I think we should sleep together more often, Shouyou-kun."

"Well," Hinata says, after a slight pause. "If you want."

Atsumu had been expecting a flustered denial, and Hinata's serious agreement takes him by surprise. Not that it's bad—no, far from that. It's actually a little too good. "Oh," he manages, slightly breathless. "Okay."

"Okay!" Hinata echoes, and smiles. There's a faint note of pink on his cheeks. "I'm almost done with breakfast—you can sit and wait if you want."

"You sure you don't want me to help?" Atsumu says.

"I'm alright!" Hinata says. "Next time, maybe."

Hinata has gotten pretty good at cooking since they started living together. Atsumu smiles as he remembers the first few days, when Hinata had mixed up salt and sugar and nearly melted a spatula. But Hinata's a quick learner after all, and most importantly, he's dedicated. Atsumu likes to watch him cook now. It's kind of sexy.

Outside, the rain continues to fall, a soft shower of grey from the sky.

Their daily routine is a simple one. There really isn't a lot to do these days—they don't go out because of the rain—but Atsumu strangely finds that he doesn't mind. Most of their time is spent doing housework and cooking. Otherwise, they kind of just lounge around, staying close to each other. Sometimes, they'll read together, or analyze volleyball videos, or even play video games. When they're especially tired, Atsumu will turn on the TV for background noise, and they'll just settle down on the couch and talk about volleyball and old friends.

Today, he ends up flipping to the news, which is broadcasting some kind of car accident.

Beside him, Hinata shifts. "Can we watch something else?" he asks.

"Sure," Atsumu says, and switches to a random sci-fi movie. It's pretty interesting—something about immortality and a tree, and the two of them find themselves actually watching it seriously.

In the middle of it, Hinata moves closer to Atsumu and lays his head on Atsumu's shoulder, a gesture both sweet and intimate. Atsumu is taken by surprise—his face growing hot, his heart beginning to rabbit—but eventually, he relaxes into the contact. He doesn't push for more, as much as he wants to. He'll take what Hinata is willing to give.

It’s always been like this with Hinata, even before they started living together. Atsumu doesn’t know what they are. More than friends, less than lovers—something like that, he supposes. They're intimate enough to share a bed, to wash each other's hair, but they've never come close to kissing or anything, not even by accident.

Atsumu's certainly thought about it more than a few times, though. He's sure about his own feelings, but he understands that things may be different for Hinata. Either way, he's alright with taking things slow. After all, good things are worth waiting for, and Atsumu's relationship with Hinata may be the best thing he's ever had.

There's no need to rush, none at all.

It's really a pity that the rain is so constant—their backyard is big and spacious, and looks like it'd be a wonderful place for a picnic. There's a shed too, which is really kind of weird because Atsumu's never remembered using it in the entirety of their time here.

“I wonder if there’s anything left in it,” he says to Hinata. “Think the old owner used it for gardening or something?”

“Probably,” Hinata says, flipping through the television channels. Nature documentary, car accident, baseball. He’s leaning against Atsumu again, warm and solid.

“Maybe we should start gardening,”Atsumu muses. “Once the rain lets up.”

Hinata snuggles closer against him. “That sounds nice,” he says. "Plant me some potatoes, farmer man."

"I said gardening," Atsumu says, chuckling. "Not farming."

Hinata clicks his tongue. "Farming is just edible gardening, you know."

"I—" Atsumu blinks. "I mean, I _guess._ "

When Hinata laughs, the sound is light and soft like a feather. For a moment, it feels like everything is perfect.

If you'd told sixteen-year-old Atsumu that he'd be perfectly content just living at home for months on end, he'd laugh in your face. But here he is, happy to do just that. Things really do change as you get older.

Atsumu is reading a recipe on his phone in the kitchen when he feels Hinata hug him from behind, and he fairly melts into a lovestruck mess.

"What are you trying to make?" Hinata asks, peeking around him because he's too small to look over Atsumu's shoulder.

Atsumu swallows. Hinata's been taking much more initiative these days, and as much as he enjoys it, it's not good for his heart. "I'm thinking of baking something," he says. "Did you just finish the laundry?"

"Yeah," Hinata says. "I think I lost a few of your socks, though."

"How could you?" Atsumu says, smiling.

"Sorry, Atsumu-sama," Hinata says, playing along. He gives Atsumu a little squeeze. "But you'll forgive me, won't you?"

Ah, cute. Too cute. Atsumu's heart clenches. "I'll consider it," he says, and Hinata laughs. Atsumu can feel the soft vibration through his body. "It's too bad it rains all the time," he notes. "It would be nice to dry the clothes outside."

Hinata hums in assent. "Can you make some cookies? I'll help."

Atsumu turns to look at him. "You'll actually help?" he asks, teasing. "You know eating doesn't count as helping, right?"

Hinata grins up at him mischievously. "Of course I'll help," he says.

Atsumu laughs, remembering how Hinata had "helped" Osamu with onigiri in the past. He'd eaten three for every one he'd made.

Now that Atsumu thinks about it, he hasn't heard from Osamu in a while.

“Samu never texted me back,” he says, frowning.

Hinata tilts his head. ”Maybe he’s busy.”

“Must be,” Atsumu says. Ah, well. Osamu's a grown man—he can take care of himself. “You know, I think I saw a recipe for matcha cookies somewhere. We can try those.”

He knows he's made the right choice when Hinata beams up at him, eyes bright.

It takes Atsumu a while to notice, but eventually he begins to realize that Hinata has nightmares. Hinata's rather good at hiding it, but sometimes, Atsumu'll wake up in the middle of the night to see him tossing and turning, breathing hard with bright tears on his face. If there's one thing in the world Atsumu cannot stand, it's the sight of Hinata crying, and these episodes always leave him with a sick feeling in his chest, even when he wakes Hinata and sees him calm down.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Hinata will say quietly afterwards, and Atsumu's heart will break a little. Hinata is still thinking of others when he's like this, scared and shivering. Atsumu wants to kiss the tears off of Hinata's cheeks, but instead he settles for opening his arms and letting Hinata snuggle close to him.

Hinata never tells him what these nightmares are about, and when Atsumu asks, he dodges the question. After a while, Atsumu gives up on finding out, and just does his best to keep Hinata calm.

 _Don't you know you can trust me?_ he thinks sadly, watching Hinata sleep in his arms. _I would do anything for you, don't you know that?_

When he wakes up in the morning, the bed is always empty.

The days go by. The rain keeps falling. Atsumu feels strangely curious about the shed in the yard, to the point where he's half-tempted to go and check it out. He tells Hinata this.

Hinata shakes his head. "What'd be the point, Atsumu-san?" he asks, scrolling through his phone. "There probably isn't anything interesting."

"I mean, it's not like there's anything else to do," Atsumu says.

Hinata freezes almost imperceptibly for a moment. "There are the dishes," he says.

"You know what I mean," Atsumu says.

A pause. "Well, at least wait until it stops raining," Hinata says, and doesn't say much else on the matter.

A week or so later, Atsumu wakes up in the middle of the night.

His dreams had been a bizarre mix of memories and nonsense—something about roads and Hinata and the shed in the backyard, which opens only to pull him into cold darkness. It leaves him with an inexplicable sense of anxiety and discomfort. At least Hinata is still asleep beside him, apparently calm.

Throat parched, Atsumu pads quietly into the kitchen, and gets himself a glass of water. A few moments later, he hears the sound of rustling sheets from his bedroom. Someone—presumably Hinata—stumbles over the floor.

" _Atsumu-san_!" Hinata's voice tears through the air. He actually sounds terrified, absolutely broken, and it makes Atsumu's heart shake. "Atsumu-san, _where are you_?"

Instinctively, Atsumu runs towards him. "I'm here!" he calls, pulse rabbiting in apprehension—what's happening? Why is Hinata so scared? "Shouyou, I'm—"

They almost collide into each other in the hallway. Hinata is gasping, embracing Atsumu so tightly it almost hurts. His eyes are wild in the low lighting, bright with fear.

"I woke up, and you were—" Hinata's struggling to talk. "You were _gone_ , I thought—I thought you'd—"

"Shouyou," Atsumu says, holding him tight. "Shouyou, calm down. It's okay. Calm down."

Eventually, Hinata's breathing slows. Atsumu takes him by the hand and leads him back into the bedroom.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks after a few moments.

Hinata lets out a shaky exhale, hugging his knees into his chest.

"You don't have to," Atsumu adds.

A pause. "I dream," Hinata says, voice quiet. "I dream that I wake up, and you're gone. I look everywhere, but I can't find you."

His answer hits Atsumu like a truck. "I'm sorry," he whispers. He takes Hinata's hand. "Is there anything I can do?"

Hinata shakes his head, wiping his eyes. "It's my own problem," he says. "I'm sorry."

"No—I'm here, okay?" Atsumu says. "I'm not going anywhere."

Hinata looks at him then, with a gaze so full of hurt and fondness and fear that Atsumu can barely stand it. “You promise?”

“I do,” Atsumu says, desperate. “Shouyou, you don’t ever have to be afraid of me leaving. I love you, don’t you know that? You have to know by now, I—”

Hinata kisses him.

It takes a second or so for Atsumu’s shock to wear off, for him to kiss back. This has been such a long time coming, and everything feels so raw, so vulnerable. Atsumu is hypersensitive, almost shaking with sensation and emotion, and he can tell Hinata feels the same.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Hinata whispers, when they break apart for air. He looks almost angelic in the pale light, eyes bright, breathing hard.

Atsumu swallows. “Me too,” he says, "me too," and kisses Hinata again, again, again, feeling a familiar desire coil in the pit of his stomach. Their touches grow more insistent, more intimate, until they're gasping into each other's mouths.

Hinata is so beautiful. Atsumu, overwhelmed, cannot look away.

When Atsumu wakes up, he is alone in the bed.

It shouldn't be a big deal. Hinata always wakes up before him to make breakfast, despite Atsumu insisting that he doesn't have to. All the same, Atsumu finds himself feeling hurt. Somehow, he'd thought that what they'd done last night might have convinced Hinata to sleep in with him, that they'd wake and stay in the blankets together.

Atsumu picks up the shirt he'd shed last night and gets dressed. After getting ready in the bathroom, he makes his way to the kitchen, where Hinata is. Hinata's facing away from him, staring out at the rain, and Atsumu feels a sudden urge to touch him again. The night before had broken a dam inside him; he feels desperate for touch, for closeness.

"Hi," Atsumu says, resting his chin on Hinata's head and draping his arms over Hinata's shoulders.

Hinata almost flinches. "Ah," he says, strangely stiff. "Hello, Atsumu-san."

Atsumu pulls away immediately, taken aback and feeling anxious—had he misread everything? Could it be that he'd done something terribly wrong?

"Hey," he says, "are you okay?"

Hinata doesn't turn back to look at him, focusing instead on the window. The rain is coming down heavier than usual today. Atsumu realizes, for the first time in a while, that he is sick and tired of rain.

"I'm alright," Hinata says. "Don't worry." Even he must know how flimsy that sounds.

"No, you're not," Atsumu says, and feels his heart clench when Hinata says nothing in defense. "Why are you lying to me? Shouyou—look at me, would you?"

Finally, Hinata turns to look at him. His eyes are sad—so sad. "I'm sorry," he says. "I—"

"You don't wanna be with me, is that it?" Atsumu asks, barely able to force out the words. "Was last night a mistake for you? If it was, just _say so_ , I can take it—"

Hinata's eyes flashing. "No!" he exclaims fiercely, almost desperate. And then he softens, taking Atsumu's hand. "No, never. Don't say that—don't think that. I love you—I really do love you."

The admission sends a thrill down Atsumu's spine, would make him near-euphoric if not for the cutting anxiety in his stomach. "Then what is it?" Atsumu asks. "Why can't you tell me?"

Hinata sighs, looks down. "I'm afraid," he says.

"What are you afraid of?" Atsumu asks.

Hinata shakes his head. "I'll tell you," he says. "You deserve at least that much. But please don't leave again. Don't go anywhere—you promised."

 _Again?_ "I won't," Atsumu says, confused. "When did I ever—"

"Atsumu-san, how do you you think you got here?" Hinata asks.

Atsumu frowns, taken aback. "What do you mean?" he asks. "I just walked—it was raining—"

"But where were you coming from?" Hinata continues. "Where are we now?"

"I—" Atsumu feels himself going on the defensive. He's frustrated: both at Hinata's sudden interrogation and because he truly can't answer these questions for the life of him. Why can't he? "We live here. What's your point, Shouyou?"

"It never stops raining," Hinata says softly, almost to himself. "But it never floods, either."

“Shouyou,” Atsumu says, heart beginning to thud. “Explain. Please.”

"We never see other people," Hinata says, and he sounds more agonized with every word that tears out of his throat. "Osamu-san never texts you back; we never hear from anyone. We don't go out, because we're in the middle of nowhere. We don't even play volleyball anymore, and that was our _job_ , Atsumu-san—can't you see? Can't you see that there's something—something terribly wrong here?"

Atsumu is dizzy. Everything Hinata says is true, and it's not like Atsumu's never noticed, but somehow he'd managed to convince himself that this strange, dreamlike existence was normal. He'd pushed any questions to the back of his mind, taken for granted the convenience of it all. But now—

“This place—it isn’t real,” Hinata continues. His hand is cold in Atsumu’s, shaking a little. “I think—I think it’s what comes after.”

Atsumu’s voice is hoarse when he speaks. “What do you mean?” he asks, desperate, hoping for any answer than the one he’s thinking of.

“Atsumu-san,” Hinata says, and his voice cracks. There’s a sad, resigned smile on his face. “We aren’t alive anymore.”

The summer after Hinata turns twenty-four, Atsumu broaches the subject.

"What do you think about living together?" he’d asked Hinata.

At the time, he hadn't been quite sure what his feelings for Hinata were—he only knew that they were important, larger than life. That it would make him happy to be near Hinata, whether as a friend or something more. That being together with him was one of the only things he really wanted.

Atsumu hadn't really expected Hinata to agree, though. After all, an ambiguous relationship was all they'd had: little touches, on-court chemistry, late-night talks. But Hinata hadn't even hesitated.

"I think that would be very nice, Atsumu-san," he'd said, smiling brightly, and then—

And then they moved in together, into a little house with a lamp at the door, and they’re still living there to this day—

No, wait. That’s not quite right. There’s something missing. What is it? Why can’t Atsumu remember?

"I think that would be very nice, Atsumu-san," Hinata had said, smiling brightly, and then—

Ah, and then they get ready to move. Osamu pokes fun at them— _feels like you’re getting married_ —and he’s right, it kind of does.

Atsumu and Hinata buy new furniture together, bicker about what they keep and throw out. Talk about what they want to do once they move: Atsumu is excited to have a real backyard, and Hinata wants to learn how to cook properly. And both of them look forward to being together, to learning each other, even though they never say this out loud.

On the day of, they borrow a friend’s van and drive over to the house together. The rain falls insistently outside, grey and cool. Hinata is in the passenger seat, looking out the window and singing a bubblegum pop song on the radio horrendously to make Atsumu laugh. There is a blur of motion at the corner of Atsumu’s eye, too fast to really catch.

And then—

An agonizing impact. The sound of metal being crushed, glass being shattered. And the pain. It all happens so fast.

 _Shouyou,_ Atsumu thinks _._ _Shouyou,_ _I—_

The world fades to black.

He wakes up in his bed. There’s the smell of breakfast floating in from the kitchen. A little disoriented, Atsumu gets up and makes his way out of the room.

Hinata is in the kitchen, in the process of making what might be tamagoyaki. Atsumu's heart swells.

"Morning," he says, and Hinata turns, smiles.

“Hi,” says Hinata. “It’s raining pretty hard out there, huh?”

"Guess we'll just stay in then," Atsumu says. For some reason, he feels impossibly fond, even more so than usual. He drinks in the sight of Hinata, memorizing the curves of his face, his smile. Atsumu must be staring a little too unabashedly, because Hinata blushes and looks away.

"It's funny," Hinata says, cheeks still adorably pink. "I woke up today, and it felt like I'd forgotten something super important."

Now that Atsumu thinks about it, he might have felt something similar. "Hmm," he says. "Probably just a weird dream." And then, with a grin, "Your eggs are burning, Shouyou-kun."

"What?" Hinata exclaims. "I was literally watching them—how—"

Atsumu laughs.

Ah, he's happy. So happy.

"You realized first," Hinata says quietly, pulling Atsumu out of his memories, and yes, Atsumu remembers that too now. The news channel on television, always playing footage of the same accident. The shed in the backyard, opening into dark nothingness. Atsumu had realized then, suffused with fear and despair. He hadn't been able to handle it, had wanted so badly to prove himself wrong—

"I ran away," Atsumu remembers, and his blood turns icy with horror and regret. "I left you alone."

"You were gone when I woke up," Hinata murmurs, eyes sad. "And you didn't come back the next day. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go look for you, but I was afraid you'd come back to an empty house. So I—I waited."

Atsumu feels hollow. "How long?" he asks, bracing himself. "How long did you wait?"

"A month," says Hinata.

A month. A month of living by himself, worried and despairing. No wonder Hinata has nightmares. Atsumu has never hated himself more. He bites his lip.

"If you took any longer, I would've gone out to look for you," Hinata continues. "I was so happy when you came back, but I was so scared you would leave again." His eyes are filling with tears. "You didn't remember anything, so I—I tried to keep you in the dark."

Everything is falling into place now. Atsumu thinks back, and understands.

"I'm sorry," Hinata continues. He's really crying now, and Atsumu cannot help but reach out and hold him, to comfort and be comforted. "I'm so sorry for lying to you—I didn't know what else to _do_ , I—"

His tears are warm on Atsumu's chest. Seeing him like that, shaking and undone, Atsumu quells the fear inside himself. Despite the pain in his heart, he feels surprisingly calm. Perhaps it's because he's already gone through this once.

"No," he says, and presses a kiss to Hinata's hair even as he struggles to hold back his own tears. He thinks of all the pain, the suffering that Hinata has experienced for him. "Thank you. You tried to protect me."

"I was just selfish," Hinata says, sniffling. "I didn't want you to leave again."

"Good," Atsumu says. "Be selfish with me."

Hinata makes a wordless noise that sounds like a mix of laughter and a sob. He buries his face in Atsumu's shirt.

"I'm sorry," Atsumu says quietly. "I'm so sorry that I left you. I'll never do it again, I promise."

"I know," Hinata whispers. "I believe you."

They're quiet afterwards, curling up on the couch close to each other. Always touching. Atsumu thinks silently of Osamu, the rest of his family, his friends. They're all gone. Or, more accurately, he's the one who's gone. The result is the same: he's apart from them, perhaps indefinitely. Atsumu hurts with a dull ache that gnaws at the inside of his ribcage. Hinata must be having similar thoughts—he's silent as well, though he'll press a kiss to Atsumu's hand every so often.

"Where do we go from here?" Atsumu asks eventually.

Hinata shrugs. "Where is there to go?"

"The shed—" Atsumu corrects himself. "The door in the backyard." Even now, it's piquing his curiosity, tempting him.

"We don't know where that leads," Hinata says, a little hesitantly.

"That's alright, isn't it?" Atsumu says. "We're us, after all." It's true, even though they might've forgotten in the last little while: they're trailblazers, adventurers, the kind of people who leap without thinking.

"I guess you're right," Hinata says, contemplating. He gets up, taking Atsumu's hand. "Fine. Let's go take a look at it and see if it's any less terrifying."

Together, they walk out the back door and into the rain. It's not as cold anymore—rather, it feels refreshing and soft, like a summer shower.

The shed sits in the back corner of the yard, inconspicuous aside from the pull it has on both of them. Atsumu remembers the sheer horror he'd felt before, when he'd opened the door only to find an expanse of darkness much larger than the structure could possibly contain. It'd been like a glitch in a game, the final blow that proved Atsumu's suspicions. But now, it doesn't feel as menacing. It's just there, almost welcoming.

Atsumu reaches out and opens the door, and Hinata inhales sharply. The interior—if it can be called that—is still dark and empty as far as he can see, but it's illuminated by thousands of little lights, bright and beautiful.

"Are those stars?" Hinata asks, wonder in his voice.

It's been so long since they've seen stars—Atsumu feels like he's about to cry. They both stand there, entranced. After a moment, Atsumu forces himself to close the door.

"Let's go back inside," he says. "It's still raining pretty hard."

"You know," Hinata says, after they've dried off inside, "I could stay here forever. As long as you're here."

Atsumu exhales, heart full. "Me too," he says quietly, honestly. It doesn't matter where he goes. If Hinata is there, then Atsumu will follow. That's just the way it is.

"But I want to go," Hinata says. "You do too, don't you?"

Of course he does, if only for the stars. "I do," Atsumu says. "But—I'll go if you go. I'll stay if you stay."

Hinata tiptoes, kisses him on the corner of the mouth. "Let's go," he says, eyes bright. "It's about time we finally left the house, don’t you think?"

Atsumu laughs. "One last adventure, huh?" he says.

"One last adventure," Hinata echoes.

They stay one more night in their little dream house.

Before they sleep, they make love to each other again, honest and open and sweet. This time, after they’re done, they whisper jokes and confessions to each other over the pillows. This time, when Atsumu wakes up in the morning, Hinata is still there, asleep with the smallest of smiles on his face.

“Are you scared?” Hinata asks, extending a hand into the rain.

“A little,” Atsumu says honestly.

“Me too,” Hinata says. “But you’re here, so I’m okay.” He tilts his head, smiles. “I’m excited, actually. Who knows where we’ll end up?”

Atsumu steps out into the rain, and Hinata follows. “Who knows,” he echoes, and can’t help smiling. He’s a little excited too—he feels like a kid again, on a journey into the unknown. Perhaps it’ll be dangerous, harrowing. Or perhaps it’ll be wonderful. Either way, they’ll be together.

"Maybe everyone else will be there too," Hinata says brightly, as they walk across the yard.

"That'd be fun," Atsumu says, smiling, daring to be hopeful. And then he pauses, turns back to look at the home that was both theirs and not theirs.

"You know, this might not have been real," Atsumu says thoughtfully. "But I was still—I am still happy. That we got another chance."

"It wasn't a cruel place," Hinata agrees. "It was a place for us to rest. To get ready."

"Ready for what?" Atsumu asks.

"Isn't that the question?" Hinata says, tiptoeing and kissing him on the forehead. Atsumu smiles, heart fluttering. "Good things, I hope."

They make their way to the doorway, which is starting to look less and less like a shed and more just like a door. In fact, the whole landscape around them is changing, shifting in ways that Atsumu can't quite comprehend. But it's not frightening—no, it feels natural, like it's been a long time coming.

Hinata reaches out and opens the door. Seeing the stars in front of them, above them, at their feet, Atsumu feels like he's finally going home.

"Ready?" Hinata says, grinning. He looks like he used to, fearless and excited and bright like the sun.

Atsumu smiles back at him. "As I'll ever be."

Hinata's hand is warm and solid in his. Atsumu takes a deep breath, and together, they step forward into the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> i... don't know how to justify this, so i won't try? hopefully it makes sense? if it doesn't you can complain to me on twitter (@caniculeo) and i'll try to explain things after i cry!  
> (if this ending kind of reminds you of scott pilgrim, you... aren't wrong)  
> as always, comments and kudos are appreciated! thank you for reading!


End file.
